Ethnic Groups

In Life Histories of Native Hawaiians, the
lifestyles and experiences of Hawaiians in the first half of this century
are examined. In cooperation with the Wai‘anae Hawaiian Heritage Cultural
Center, researcher and writer June Gutmanis conducted oral history interviews
with nine older Hawaiians, including a community worker, teacher, seaman,
streetcar conductor, nurse, entertainer, homemaker, plantation worker, and
cowboy.

Interviews cover childhood memories, job experiences, political and
cultural involvements, views on the Hawaiian language, and various aspects
of daily lives. A common topic is the lifestyles of Hawaiian families
in the early twentieth century.

“And our church didn’t have a bell,
it was such a small church; but it had a conch shell. So the family
that lived nearest that church would blow it very early in the morning.
And Grandma would say, ‘Hurry up, everybody. Do you hear
the conch shell blowing?’ ” —Elizabeth Ellis

A variety of job experiences are recalled by
the interviewees. Among these are first-hand accounts of teaching on
the Big Island, ranching on Maui, nursing at a Hansens disease
station, working on streetcars, and sailing on inter-island and ocean-going
ships.

“In 1923 I went to the Rapid Transit
office and apply for to work on the streetcars and I work on streetcars
about nine years. . . . It’s a hard job, especially
when you’re conductor, you on your feet all day. And then you
know how the streetcar run, they always jagging a jig, till my leg
got bumped, even till now, from that place.” —Louis Aila, Jr.

“Well, we were still shipping.
The conditions were still the old conditions, 1934. That’s when
they opened the strike. . . . It’s rough sometimes
when you run into, oh, strikebreakers. You have to get down there
and, what you call it, mob them.” —George Ai

Also discussed are cultural practices and beliefs.

“I know the beach in the tradition of
camping out and netting, you don’t pick ‘opihi (limpets)
and all just waste. . . . If you pick a lot of ‘opihi, you
always have to throw some back, one or two back. It’s almost like
saying, Thank you for giving me the privilege of picking.’ ” —Katherine
Maunakea

These nine life histories provide information
about Hawaiians during a time of transition from a traditional to contemporary
society.